Flushing-tank.



E. P. STARY.

FLUSHING TANK.

APPLICATION FILED P213, 1910.

Patented Sept. 30, 1913.

r I Attorneys Witnesses COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO..\\'ASIIINGTON n. c

12min 1?. STARY, or CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA.

FLUSHING-TANK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 3, 1910.

Patented Sept. 39, 1913.

Serial No. 541,706.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMIL P. STARY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cedar Rapids, in the county of Linn and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Flushing-Tank, of which the following is a specification. V

This invention relates to certain improvements in apparatus for automatically and periodically discharging the liquid contents of reservoirs or tanks. 7

The invention relates more particularly to that class of automatic flushing tanks in which a siphon is employed, which operates without mechanical means.

It is the object of the invention to make a simpler and more reliable fiusher than has been heretofore employed, and also to pro vide a structure which enables two or more siphons to be used, said siphons operating alternately.

The invention differs from devices of this class in, whereas, heretofore, the air confined in the fiusher, and the seal confining the air in the fiusher, have been compelled to escape into the connection at the discharge end of said flusher, the present device allows the air confined in the fiusher, and the sealing medium, to escape directly into the open air above the surface of the liquid in the reservoir.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which the figure is a diagrammatic sectional view of an apparatus constructed in accordance with the invent-ion.

Referring to the drawing, 5 denotes the reservoir to be emptied periodically, the water or other fluid entering through a pipe 6 or other suitable supply connection. The discharge is through two siphons, the long legs 7 of which enter the reservoir through the bottom thereof, and have traps 8 to form liquid-sealed outlets. The short leg of each siphon is formed by an inverted bell, crown, or cap 9 placed over the upper end of the leg 7, within the'reservoir;

Into the bell 9 extends an inverted U-v shaped pipe 10, one end of which 10 opens into the reservoir 5, a short distance above the lower edge of the hell 9, and the other end extends into the upper end of the leg 7.

Within the bell 9, the pipe 10 is formed with a pocket 11 into which extends the lower end of a pipe 12 passing through the crown of the bell. This pipe rises a suitable distance above the bell so as to discharge above the highest level of the liquid in the reservolr.

The figure shows an apparatus in which two siphons are employed, they being arranged to operate alternately. The two si phons are indicated at 18 and 19, respectively. The siphon 18 is provided with an air vent pipe 20 which is sealed at its lower end by means of a trap 21 formedin a pipe 22, one end of which opens into the reservoir 5 a short distance above the lower edge of the siphon bell, and the other end of which pipe extends into the upper end of the leg 7 The sealed vent pipe 20 rises a suitable distance above the siphon bell, and enters a small tank 23, said tank being located within the reservoir 5. The tank 23 is provided with a waste pipe 24 which extends from the bottom thereof, and opens into the reservoir. The waste pipe also rises a short distance above the bottom of the tank, and over its inlet end is placed an inverted bell, cap, or crown 25, thus forming a siphon discharge.

The siphon 19 is provided with an air vent pipe 26, discharging into a tank 27, said pipe being also provided with a seal 28. The vent pipe 26 and its associate parts are the same as the vent pipe and associate parts thereof employed in connection with the siphon 18. The tank 27 has a siphon discharge 29.

Where two siphons are employed as shown, the capacity of the trap of the air vent pipes will be made double the capacity of the tanks to which said pipes are connected to the level of the outlet ends of the pipes.

To start the apparatus, the trap 21 is half filled, and the trap 28 is entirely filled with water or other liquid to seal the vent pipes 20 and 26. The liquid is now allowed to enter the reservoir 5 through the pipe 6. When the rising liquid in the reservoir closes the lower end of the siphon bells, and the open lower ends of the pipe 22 and the corresponding pipe of the siphon 19, located within the reservoir, the escape of air from the siphons ceases. A continuous rise of the liquid compresses the air confined in the crown of the siphons,1-and this compression gradually forces the sealing liquid from the traps 21 and 28 through the pipes 20 and 26 into the tanks 23 and 27. The seal of the reservoir, and said liquid then rises in thesiphon bell, and starts the siphonic action.

' Inasmuch as the trap 28 contains twice the quantity of liquid of the trap 21, the seal of the pipe 26 will not as yet be broken, and hence the siphon 19 will not be brought into action. When the liquid is rising in the reservoir, and the air is being compressed in the crown of the siphon 18, a similar compression of air takes place in the siphon 19, and consequently some of the sealing liquid is forced from the'trap 28 by the way of the pipe 26 into the tank 27.

lVhen the reservoir is emptying through the siphon 18, the pressure in the siphon 19 will be reduced by the lowering of the water level in the reservoir, and the sealing liquid in the tank 27 filling said tank above the outlet end of the pipe 26 will drain back into the trap 28, leaving the same about half filled. The sealing liquid remaining in both tanks will be discharged into the reservoir through the siphons 24 and 29 when the water level in the reservoir has fallen below the lower ends of said siphons. At the same time the discharge is taking place through the siphon 18, the trap 21 will be refilled, so that at the end of the discharge, said trap will be entirely filled, whereas the trap 28 will be but half full. \Vhen the water again rises in the reservoir, the sealing liquid remaining in the trap 28 will be discharged into the tank 27, whereupon the reservoir empties through the siphon 19, and at the same time one half of the sealing liquid of the vent pipe 20 is discharged from the trap 21 into the tank 23, so that the next discharge will be through the siphon 18.

It will be evident from the foregoing that the two siphons are brought into action alternately, and the number of siphons employed may be increased by properly proportioning the capacity of the tanks below the level of the discharge end of the vent pipes, to the capacity of the traps of the vent pipes. Thus, if three siphons are employed, the capacity of each of the tanks below the level of the inlet ends of the vent pipes will be made one-third of thecapacity of the traps. In a four-siphon'discharge, the ratio will be one-fourth, and so on. By thus increasing or diminishing the capacity of the tanks, the liquid in the reservoir 5 may be compelled to rise as many times as may be desired before one of the siphons is brought into action.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with a reservoir, of a siphon for discharging the contents thereof, an air vent pipe entering'the crown of the siphon, and having its inlet end watersealed, a tank into which the said vent pipe enters, and a waste pipe from the tank discharging into the reservoir.

2. the combination with a reservoir, of a siphon for discharging the contents thereof, an air vent pipe entering the crown of the siphon, and having its inlet end watersealed, a tank into which said vent pipe extends, and a siphon for discharging the contents of the tank into the reservoir, the long leg of the last-mentioned siphon being sealed by'the contents of the reservoir.

3. The combination with a reservoir, of

a plurality of siphons for discharging the 7 contents thereof, each of said siphons having an air vent pipe entering the same, a trap sealing the inlet end of the vent pipe, a tank into which the vent pipe discharges,

the capacity of said tank to the level of the discharge end of the vent pipe being less than the capacity of the trap, and a waste pipe from the tank the reservoir.

e. The combination with a reservoir, of a plurality of siphons for discharging the contents thereof, an air vent pipe entering discharging into each of said siphons, a trap sealing the inlet 7 end of the airvent pipe, a tank into which said vent pipe discharges, the ratio of the capacity'of the trap and of the tank'to the level of the discharge end of the vent pipe being proportionate to the number of.

siphons, and a sealed waste pipe from the tank discharging into the reservoir.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aihXed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

EMIL P. STARY.

WVitnesses:

A. P; COOPER, F. G.S 1ARY.'

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of laterits,

Washington, D. C. 

